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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27441565">Lord of the Wild</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychedelicShips/pseuds/PsychedelicShips'>PsychedelicShips</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Sanders Sides one shots [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Torture, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cults, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Morality | Patton Sanders, Torture, Violence, Whipping, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:15:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,798</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27441565</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsychedelicShips/pseuds/PsychedelicShips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Patton's journey is uneventful. That is, until he looses his horse and instead finds himself caught in a net.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders &amp; Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>My Sanders Sides one shots [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1846756</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Lord of the Wild</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>if you're reading my one shots in publication order, you have entered the ✨pain zone✨<br/>actually the next one is fluffy but then its all pain from there &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>His journey had been uneventful so far- that is, until his horse had reared up and he had fallen off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Indigo! Indigo, come back sweetie!” Patton called out to his horse who had run off into the woods. Brambles and beaches tore at his clothes, drawing pinpricks of blood on his uncovered arms. He could only imagine how terrified the horse might be! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton knew that starting off the path was unsafe, but he needed to find Indigo! And besides, he could just retrace his steps! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ind- agh!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A net sprung from underneath the leaves where it had been hidden, trapping him inside as it dangled from a tree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey! Help!” Patton shouted, suddenly afraid. But this was only a hunter’s trap for game animals, right? The hunter would surely be along soon to help him out. Right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Patton realized that in his capture, his glasses had fallen to the forest floor, which must have been ten feet from where he dangled in the net. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Help!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton kept shouting until his voice was hoarse and the sun had gone down. Resigned to his fate that he wouldn’t be getting down until someone came to check the net, Patton attempted to close his eyes and sleep. But every sound kept him awake, every gust of wind made the net swing and spin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then, just as his eyes were about to close, he heard the crunch of leaves below him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey!” Patton looked down and saw a hooded figure. “Help!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure looked up at him, their face obscured by the heavy black hood. Patton watched as they walked to the tree, and suddenly he plummeted to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He bit back a help of pain as his ankle twisted on the impact. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still tangled in the net, Patton looked up at the hooded figure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Gosh, thanks! I don’t know how long I could have been there if you hadn’t come!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He attempted to wiggle his way out, the figure still standing, unmoving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey, uh, a little help here?” Patton asked, pointing to the knot that held the net together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure moved, and instead of undoing the knot like Patton had expected, they grabbed the rope that had been attached to the tree branch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing?” Patton shouted, hoping the waver in his voice didn’t register with them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The figure remained silent as they dragged the net with ease, even though Patton thrashed and grabbed foliage in an attempt to stop them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please! Where are you taking me?” Patton cried, wincing when his ankle was hit by rocks or branches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They must have had enough of his pleas, as they stopped walking and turned to Patton. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of an answer like Patton expected, they drew out a long metal staff from inside their robes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton didn’t have time to shout before the staff connected with his temple and his vision faded to black.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton woke to the sound of voices. Struggling to open his eyes, he saw a crowd had gathered around where he stood, all of their faces hidden, all dressed in identical black robes. Even though he could see none of their faces, he knew they were all staring at him, and as he realized that he also suddenly realized that he was now shirtless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to take a step back, but found his hands were tied above his head to a wooden post, the tips of his toes just barely reaching the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Prepare the offering, Brother.” Someone in the crowd said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A jolt of fear ran through him. Was that what he was to become? An offering for some higher power? Patton had doubted the existence of the powers religions and cults worshiped, but he had no doubt that he would die because of their belief. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“One for the ground, uncaringly trod,” a sharp pain ran through Patton’s back as a sharp crack sounded in the air. Biting back a scream, he felt blood begin to drop down as the gravelly voice rhymed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Two for the birds, fearfully awed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another crack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Three for the fish, painfully caught.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton couldn’t tell if it was the crowd or himself repeating the verse as another crack split the air. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Four for the horse, unwillingly bought.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His back had gone numb, and Patton couldn’t choke his screams down anymore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Five for the fire, painfully tamed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How long had it been? It seemed like it had been an eternity since he found himself tied to the post.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Six for the floods, unfairly blamed.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another lash, another welt on his back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seven for the winds, shamefully rang.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please… stop!” Patton cried, unable to hold back the tears or the shrieks. How long would his pain last? Was this how he was going to die? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And eight for the quakes, to bring you all down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If there was more, Patton couldn’t tell. His head slumped to his chest, and though he could feel himself being moved, he could do nothing to stop them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was powerless. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was alone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was going to die. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was the only thing he was certain of now: that these people would bring him to his end, whether it would be infection or blood loss or some gruesome way, there would be no getting out of this alive for Patton. And there was absolutely nothing he could do except perhaps prolong his suffering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So still he fought as cloaked arms dragged Patton to what looked like a giant shepard’s hook. Every injury became tenfold as painful as the cultists-was that what they were?- forced Patton’s arms above his head once again, the cuts in his back becoming worse as he was hoisted off the ground, kicking his feet in vain until a two grabbed his ankles while a third wrapped thick rope around them to stop him from thrashing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton continued to scream for help, to shriek at them to stop, until a gag was shoved into his mouth, rendering him almost mute except for the muffled grunts he managed to get out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He shook his head, resisting his hands getting tied to the curve of the hook until someone took a clump of hair in their fist, fighters digging into his scalp, while tied a blindfold around his eyes, digging into the back of his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hands holding him down finally let go, and Patton's face paled as he realized what had happened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had hung him there like cow’s meat at a butcher’s shop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That last thing he heard was “The Lord of the Wild will be pleased with his offering.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton hung there for- seconds? Hours? Days? Every breeze swung him in a different direction, every caw of a bird seemed to signal that his time was up- and when it was, would he go peacefully? Relieved? Ready to be rid of the pain? Or would he keep fighting? What would he do? Drifting in and out of consciousness, he wondered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His wrists strained at the weight of his own body, and Patton felt as if his arms were about to snap off and let him plummet to the ground. How fitting of an end that would be, to be rid of the pain in the same way he had brought it upon himself in his stupidity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed like an eternity had passed before he heard a sound below him- on the ground! By now, the feel of grass seemed like a distant memory. Before he died he would have liked to run on the grass barefoot one last time, just as he had done as a child with his brothers, their only care being who could catch the most fireflies. Patton had always lost, always a little too slow to catch one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now the hope of living became just as distant as those fireflies had seemed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still dangling there like a worm on a baited fishing hook, Patton heard another sound identical to the first- a grunt of pain. No, they couldn’t have kidnapped someone else already! They couldn’t subject anyone else to the pain Patton had been through- sobs hacked at his throat, the full wave of despair crashing into him. These cultists would continue to kidnap and kill people until they were all dead-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to get you down. Please stay strong.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What? Had he heard that right? That must be Death himself talking to him. And in that moment, Patton knew what he was going to do. He would let Death take him, let Death ease his suffering. Patton had always wondered about where you went when you died, and he supposed he was about to find out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt a tendril of… something… wrap around his waist. He briefly attempted to shale off his blindfold, but like so many previous escape attempts, it was in vain. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The pressure on his wrists suddenly released, his arms numb and stiff. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something solid pressed into his side, and- was that grass? Yes! Patton had never been so glad for the grass that prickled around him, pressing into his cheek and side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just has suddenly as it had been taken from him, the pinprick light of the far away stars returned to his vision. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton angled his head to see the person who had saved him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Attempting to speak, he realized the gag was still shoved in his mouth, so he could only grunt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Shh, it’s okay, I’m going to help you,” they said, pulling the gag out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tha- thank you,” Patton replied, his voice hoarse. Was it from screaming or disuse? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay,” they said again, cutting Patton’s wrists and ankles loose from the rope. “You’re safe now. Can you stand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Grunting from the effort, Patton eventually got on one leg, then the other- he shrikes as he put pressure on his foot, the one that had been twisted in his first fall. Stumbling back to the grass, his savior caught him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll carry you, then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton looked around as he was picked up, moving his eyes as it hurt to turn his head, and saw for the first time what had caused the grunts he had heard. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scattered around the cleaning were a dozen corpses, all cloaked in black. Weeds and vines covered them, as if they had died a hundred years ago and had been grown over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton immediately retched into the grass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“S-sorry-” he trembled. He had thought this person his rescuer, but would they simply kill him, too? Choke him with vines as they had done with the cultists? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I swear I’m not going to hurt you,” they said. And though Patton didn’t quite believe them, he allowed himself to be carried from the clearing that had become the site of a massacre, if only because he was too exhausted to fight back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could have imagined it, but Patton swore he heard the person carrying him say, “Thomathy, find some bandages, please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton lay on his chest in an unfamiliar bed. Was this the afterlife? Surely the afterlife, whatever it was, would have comfortable beds like this one? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked to his left, and saw a man sitting in the corner. Groaning, Patton tried to see what the man was doing. He suddenly looked up and smiled. Patton became acutely aware of the bandages wrapped around his torso. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re awake! You probably don’t want to move too much, you got messed up pretty good,” he said, standing. In his hand he held a block of wood and- a knife!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton gasped in fear. This man really was going to kill him! Trying to move somewhere, anywhere else, the pain began to set in again. His back was on fire, his wrists screaming for him to stay still. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man’s eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He dropped the knife and stepped back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Listen to me, okay? You’re safe here. You’re safe. No one is going to hurt you.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton let his words sink in, and relaxed after a moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Am I dead?” Patton whispered, his throat sore. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, I don’t think so. But then again, we never really know.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who are you?” If this man wasn't going to hurt him, then what was he going to do? Patton wanted answers, and he wanted them now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My name is Remus, what’s yours?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I’m Patton.”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>“Hello, Patton. Is there something you’d like to talk about? Your injuries will likely take a long time to heal, so I hope we can be friends.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Injuries? What- what did they do to me?”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>Remus sighed. “Well, they’re a cult, as you’ve probably figured out. They think I’m some kind of deity or sorcerer or whatever-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You? That’s you? The-”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>“The Lord of the Wild, yeah, that’s what they call me. They think I’m some malevolent entity or something, which is all bullshit, of course. I’m not even that powerful of a sorcerer. Anyways, you probably really don’t want to hear about what happened in detail, but you lost a lot of blood and have several broken bones. Your back looks like shit. No offense, of course, but they did horrible things to you. And I’m so, so sorry that you had to go through all that on behalf of someone’s delusional beliefs.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How long has it been?” Patton dreaded the answer but needed to know.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They kidnapped you five days ago.” Remus answered, apologetic. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>Patton said nothing for a moment, thinking. Five days… less than a week ago he had been happily on the road, no destination in mind but going where he wanted. Now? Now he had been kidnapped and tortured and sacrificed! He should be afraid right now, but… he wasn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who’s Thomathy?” Patton asked, breaking his silence. Was there someone else here? From what Patton could see, the house, if it could be called that, seemed to have the back half inside a small cave where he lay now and the front half almost like a log cabin. Surely there couldn't be room for three people? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh!” Remus said, brightening. “This is Thomathy!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus slowly walked over to where Patton lay on the bed of animal furs, his hand cupped around a- rat?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s my assistant,” Remus said proudly as the rodent in his hands squeaked. Was Remus delusional? Off of Patton’s confused look, Remus explained, “I talk to rats and mice. I give them protection, and they give me help!”</span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>It made slightly more sense, but Patton had never heard of anyone talking to rats. In the stories it had always been princes or princesses talking to birds, or perhaps deer.  But Patton never heard of talking to rats, of all creatures. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomathy squeaked and climbed out of Remus’s hands onto the bed where Patton lay. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>“Hello there,” Patton moved his hand, a task that felt almost impossible, and pet the small rat on the head. The rats he had in the village where he lived before deciding to go on a journey had all been huge, mean, ugly things, but Remus’s rats were so cute! They were just tiny little furry babies! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Rats are actually really smart! Thomathy knows how to count to thirty, which is the highest any rat knows how!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomathy seemed to stand up a little straighter at Remus’s praise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m going to go get some food. Thomathy, keep Patton comfortable for me, okay? Patton, if you need anything, just tell Thomathy. He’ll know what to do,” Remus walked toward the cabin part of the house after giving Thomathy a pat. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rat curled up beside Patton on the pillow as Patton drifted off into a dreamless yet restful sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A moment after Patton woke, Remus walked in with a wooden bowl, his hand covered in red. Red- so much red- red blood- </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton started to breath rapid, shallow breaths as he saw the redness drip down Remus’s palms, the stickiness of it clinging to his green tunic-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Patton! Patton, look, it’s just berry juice. Patton, take a deep breath for me, that’s it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton shuddered as he did as Remus said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I- I’m sorry…” Patton’s voice hitched as his eyes watered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay. It’s okay,” Remus reassured him. “I know what it’s like, to have your mind hate you, to be afraid of things that don’t make sense. Tell me what I can do, Patton. Am I allowed to hug you?” Remus grabbed a water jug and washed his hands of the red juice. </span>
  <span><br/>
</span>
  
  <span>Patton nodded, and Remus wrapped his arms around Patton, careful not to disturb the bandages. For the first time in what seemed to be forever, Patton felt safe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There, in Remus’s embrace, Patton could finally breathe. He could finally, finally stop fighting for the chance to live, because at that moment, he knew he would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Patton would survive. </span>
</p>
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